It is well known to obtain three-dimensional arrays of data representing one or more physical properties at regular grid positions within the interior of solid bodies. Such data can be obtained by non-intrusive methods such as computed axial tomographic (CAT) x-ray scanning systems, by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging systems, or by other non-intrusive mechanisms such as ultrasound, positron emission tomography (PET), emission computed tomography (ECT) and multimodality imaging (MMI). Each of these techniques produces a planar, grid-like array of values for each of a succession of slices of the solid object, thus providing a three-dimensional array of such values. Typically, the solid object is a human body or a portion thereof, although the method is equally applicable to other natural or artificial bodies. In the case of CAT scanning, the physical value is the coefficient of x-ray absorption. For NMR imaging, the physical values are the spin-spin and the spin-lattice relaxation echoes. In any event, the measured physical values reflect the variations in composition, density or surface characteristics of the underlying physical structures.
It is likewise known to utilize such three-dimensional arrays of interior physical values to generate visual images of the interior structures within the body. In the case of the human body, the visual images thus produced can be used for medical purposes such as diagnostics or for the planning of surgical procedures In order to display two-dimensional images of such three-dimensional interior structures, however, it is necessary to locate the position of the surface of such structure within the array of physical values. This has been accomplished in the prior art by comparing the array values to a single threshold value, or to a range of threshold values, corresponding to the physical property values associated with that surface. Bones or any other tissue, for example, can be characterized by a known range of density values to which the array values can be compared. Once the surface location is determined, this surface must be shaded so as to give the human eye the correct impression of the shape and disposition of that surface when it is displayed on a two-dimensional display device. To provide such shading, the angular direction of a vector normal or orthogonal to the surface at each point on the surface is compared to the viewing angle of the observer. The intensity of shading can then be adjusted so as to be proportional to the difference between these angles. Normal vectors with components directed away from the viewing angle can be ignored since the associated surfaces are hidden from view.
It is thus known to use a single array of values of a physical property within the interior of a solid body to generate perspective images of arbitrarily selected internal structures within the body, seen as if viewed from arbitrarily chosen viewing angles, all by manipulating the selfsame single array of values. Techniques for displaying such internal structures of a solid body from non-intrusive three-dimensional data arrays are taught in H. E. Cline et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,876, granted Dec. 1, 1987, H. E. Cline et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,585 granted Jan. 12, 1988, H. E. Cline et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,098, granted Mar. 1, 1988, W. E. Lorensen et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,643, granted June 14, 1988, H. E. Cline et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,567, granted Dec. 13, 1988, U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,213, granted Apr. 11, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,668, U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,834, and U.S. Pat. No. 4984,157 all of which are assigned to applicants' assignee, and the following copending application of H. E. Cline et al. assigned to applicants' assignee: Ser. No. 282,666, filed Dec. 12, 1988, now abandoned. All of these display techniques, however, require that the three-dimensional data be segmented into data subsets representing a single one, or a plurality, of integral internal structures. Such data subsets can then be processed to smooth the depicted surfaces, to provide color for distinguishing different structures, and to provide surface gradient shading to enhance three-dimensional displays.
CAT scanning produces x-ray absorption values with which threshold values are suitable for distinguishing between data representing different structures with substantially different properties, such as bones and surrounding soft tissues. It is difficult, however, using CAT scan values, to distinguish between adjacent tissues with similar physical characteristics, such as is found in the human head where different tissues result in overlapping intensity ranges. Closely adjacent and intermingled tissues with the same or closely similar values of the scanned physical property, for example, are difficult or impossible to discriminate. Attempts to image such tissues result in an image that includes multiple tissues with inadequate or concealed details. This problem is discussed in "3D Reconstruction of the Brain from Magnetic Resonance Images Using a Connectivity Algorithm," by H. E. Cline et al., Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Vol. 5, No. 5, 1987, and "Vascular Morphology by Three-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance Imaging," by H. E. Cline et al., Magnetic Resonance Imaging Vol 7, pages 45-54, November, 1989.
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging is better at contrasting soft tissues than CAT x-ray scans, but suffers from the fact that there are many more soft tissue surfaces that are identified by any given threshold surface value, as compared to surfaces such as bone and organs. The difficulty with the connectivity algorithms of the prior art in situations where threshold surface values are close to each other is that they examine adjacent values in order to determine connectivity. This procedure inherently tends to bridge to tissues with similar data values even though the surfaces are not in fact connected. An additional drawback to such prior art techniques is the greatly increased amount of processing necessary to examine all of the adjacent values, increasing the delay in generating an image while at the same time producing images with poor surface discrimination. The problem becomes particularly acute for three-dimensional images of the human head where the large number of closely packed tissues exacerbate the surface discrimination difficulty.
A significant problem in displaying internal surfaces of closely packed tissues such as in the human head is, therefore, the need to segment the data samples into the various tissues. Such segmentation is preferably accomplished before an attempt is made to trace the surface of the tissue using a connectivity algorithm, so as to minimize the number of data points which must be investigated.
Accordingly, one object of the invention is to provide a system and method for displaying surfaces of internal structures within a body with good surface discrimination.
Another object is to provide a system and method for creating three-dimensional NMR images of structures within a human body without excessive delay in processing the data for generating the images.
Another object is to utilize echoes of the clinical pulse sequences of an NMR imaging system to form three-dimensional images of structures within a human body with good surface discrimination and without need for tedious manual editing.